Category Archives: Sports

LONDON EVENING STANDARD
Arsene Wenger says the retiring Per Mertesacker will ‘very quickly’ want to play again once he finally hangs up his boots.
Spurs’ Heung-Min Son could miss the start of next season to play in the Asian Games with South Korea.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has said he joined Arsenal to play under Arsene Wenger, amid rumours the manager could be in his final season at the Emirates.

MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS
Jose Mourinho has admitted Manchester United must sign new players in the wake of their 2-1 home defeat to Sevilla on Tuesday night, which sealed their Champions League exit.
Romelu Lukaku posted an Instagram post insisting he did not criticise his United team-mates when he said they “hid” following the loss.

LIVERPOOL ECHO
Everton are bracing to lose their chief executive, Robert Elstone, who has been with the club for 13 years and is being lined up for a new role in rugby’s Super League.
The Toffees should give winger Nikola Vlasic more playing time – says the player’s father, who has said the club should be prioritising young players.
Boss Sam Allardyce has called Wayne Rooney’s display against Brighton as “masterful”, in spite of missing a penalty in the 2-0 win last weekend.

BIRMINGHAM MAIL
Manchester United are said to be lining up a £35.5m move for Talisca, who is on loan from Benfica at Besiktas and has also been linked with Wolves. The 24-year-old is a client of Jorge Mendes, who has a number of players on Wolves’ books.
Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce said he blames himself for the Villains’ shock 3-1 defeat to QPR on Tuesday night. Bruce said he should have made more changes to freshen up his line-up.

EXPRESS & STAR
Wolves’ Diego Jota’s knock is not as bad as first feared, having limped off during their win over Reading last night. He posted on Instagram saying ‘no words and no card’, may just be swollen.
West Brom chief executive Mark Jenkins has begun an in-depth review into the clubs’ failings this season, which see them rock bottom of the Premier League table.

STOKE SENTINEL
Stoke’s Giannelli Imbula has received a surprise international call-up – with the Democratic Republic of Congo naming him in their squad to face Tanzania.

LEICESTER MERCURY
Claude Puel will be handed a bumper transfer kitty by Leicester City chiefs, on the back of pre-tax profits of more than £90m at the club last year.

DERBY TELEGRAPH
Derby County captain Richard Keogh has accused Nottingham Forest’s players of going down too easily during the goalless draw between the sides at the City Ground.

BOURNEMOUTH ECHO
Bournemouth defender Steve Cook says Premier League referees need VAR to help make decisions, following the late controversy in their 4-1 defeat to Tottenham on Sunday.

Manchester United winger Alexis Sanchez has revealed that being the best-paid player in the Premier League ‘fills him with pride’.

Alexis Sanchez is believed to have signed a £500,000-a-week contract when he moved to Manchester United from Arsenal during the January transfer window.

Sanchez has however struggled to make his mark for the Red Devils – scoring just once in all competitions.

The Chilean International insisted that he thrives operating under pressure, and has spoken of the great honour that comes with being the highest-paid player in Premier League history.

“The pressure doesn’t play against me, it helps me. The more pressure I’m under, the better I feel,” Sanchez told Chilean TV. “I feel like an important player at world level. Being the best-paid in the Premier League fills me with pride at being Chilean.”

England head coach Gareth Southgate, has given maiden call-ups to Burnley pair James Tarkowski and Nick Pope, Swansea’s Alfie Mawson and Bournemouth’s Lewis Cook for the friendlies against the Netherlands and Italy.

Tarkowski, the centre-half, and goalkeeper Pope have been watched by Southgate frequently in recent months.

Southgate said: “Nick’s form has been excellent and its great credit to Burnley and [manager] Sean Dyche that two members of their defensive unit are here.

“Nick hasn’t had any previous experience with us so we need to find out about him if we lose one of our senior goalkeepers. His form justifies coming in that mix.”

Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere has also returned to the international scene, while on-loan Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart is included despite his lack of action at West Ham United this season.

Manchester United’s Ashley Young is also included, but there is no spot for Fulham attacker Ryan Sessegnon, while Bournemouth’s Callum Wilson is left out despite speculation that the forward would receive a position.

England, who are without Harry Kane through injury, will travel to Netherlands on March 23 before hosting Italy on March 27.

Real Madrid’s ‘operation Neymar’ has started. Los Blancos believe it will be a difficult deal but hope to bring the Paris Saint-Germain forward to the Bernabeu before the World Cup. (AS)

Real Madrid believe a bid of €300m could tempt PSG to sell Neymar to them this summer. That figure could be even less in the summer of 2019, with the Brazilian set to be available then for €222m, the same figure the Parisians paid Barcelona to meet his buyout clause last August. (Marca)

With Manchester United unhappy at Jose Mourinho’s claims the club need to spend more money, the Portuguese manager could be on his way to Paris Saint-Germain. (AS)

Andres Iniesta has admitted his Barcelona future is uncertain. “Before April 30 I have to make the decision whether I’m still in Barcelona or I’m going to China. I have to assess what is best for me and for the club,” he told reporters after Wednesday’s Champions League win over Chelsea.

“It is a decision that I will communicate to the club first and then you will find out. I will make a decision before April 30.” (Sport)

Roma midfielder Maxime Gonalons is a target for Villarreal. The Yellow Submarine want to bring in a midfielder during the summer, with club captain Bruno yet to play this season and Rodri set to join Atletico Madrid. (Marca)

France

Paris Saint-Germain have spoken to former Barcelona coach Luis Enrique about replacing Unai Emery at the Parc des Princes with the Spaniard set to leave after failing to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League. (Paris United)

Italy

Businessman Saeed Al-Falasi, a member of Dubai’s royal family, is interested in buying AC Milan, amid doubts of current owner Yonghong Li’s finances. (Gazzetta dello Sport)

Spal goalkeeper Alex Meret has admitted Napoli transfer rumours are flattering, but says he’s focusing on his current side. The 20-year-old is on loan with Spal from Udinese and there have been reports that the Partenopei could make his parent club an offer for him in the summer.

“News and certain rumours have arrived,” Meret said. “I’m pleased to be considered, especially by such an important club. Right now, I’m only thinking about Spal, we’ll see what the future will be.” (Corriere dello Sport)

Eintracht Frankfurt forward Kevin-Prince Boateng admits he would find it hard to turn down a return to AC Milan, even if it is unlikely.

Would I go back? Of course! I’d go back to Milan right away, I could never say no,” he said. “At the same time, though, I like being realistic and I know it’s almost impossible.” (Tuttomercatoweb)

Netherlands

Vitesse would like to keep on-loan Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount for another year, but the 19-year-old’s future is in the hands of his parent club. (VI)

Germany

Mitchell Weiser is an option for Bayer Leverkusen, although there is also interest from England, Italy and other German clubs. The 23-year-old midfielder would cost €12m. (Kicker)

Cologne, sitting bottom of the Bundesliga, are likely to lose Jonas Hector in the summer. The 27-year-old left-back is likely to interest Borussia Dortmund, and should be available for between €7 and 8m. (Kicker)

Eden Hazard struggled to make an impression as Chelsea bowed out of the Champions League in the round of 16 courtesy of a 4-1 aggregate defeat to Barcelona.

Hazard is widely regarded as one of the best players in the Premier League, but Keane has said that the Belgium international has “too many off days when he’s just not up to it”.

“He can be very, very good but to me there are just too many off days where he’s just not up to it. If you’re trying to compare him to Messi – he’s way behind him,” Hazard told ITV Sport.

“Messi and Ronaldo have been doing it year after year. They always seem to be fit. They play 50 or 60 games a season and they produce week in, week out. These other players that we are talking about don’t.”

Earlier this week, Everton claimed that Gylfi Sigurdsson was likely to be sidelined for six to eight weeks after picking up the problem in last weekend’s victory over Brighton

However, Allardyce has criticised the decision to make an early assessment over the injury, claiming that the Toffees must wait until the issue settles down before determining whether the Icelandic international will return before the end of the season.

At a press conference, Allardyce told reporters: “Whoever gave that statement out is going to get a right telling off because you cannot predict a length of injury in its entirety. You have people who heal quicker. We’ve got a highly qualified medical staff and equipment to try and speed up any injury.

“I’ve always felt it’s the wrong thing to do, to tag an injury for its time limits because people recover quicker than others.

“For me, it’s how the injury is in the next two weeks. When you sustain a knee injury, there’s a settling down period immediately afterwards and then it’s how quickly the player recovers.”

Senior members of the Manchester United board are allegedly “worried” about the club’s future under manager Jose Mourinho and are ‘questioning whether he is the right man’ to continue on at the club

Manchester United shock exit from the Champions League at the hands of Sevilla on Tuesday night means that the FA Cup remains the side’s sole chance at silverware this season, with only the runners-up spot up for grabs in the league.

Speaking after the Champions League exit, Mourinho claimed that the defeat was “nothing new” for United and also referenced previous times that he had ousted the club from the competition as an opposition manager.

Mourinho is also alleged to have not admonished his players after the game, instead visiting the Sevilla dressing room to congratulate them.

According to the Daily Mail, Mourinho’s demeanour coupled with United’s results and performances this season have left some boardroom members “uncomfortable” with the club’s direction of travel.

The newspaper says that senior figures are concerned by “the style of football being played by the Portuguese coach and fear that it could be several years before his team are serious contenders for the Premier League title”

One senior source is quoted as saying: “Jose is not the manager we thought he was. We are worried. We know the fans hate the football, and we won’t win the league for three or four years. He’s also too insecure and gets involved in things away from the football.”

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has suggested that they could have progressed past Barcelona in the Champions League had they been awarded a penalty for a foul on Marcos Alonso.

With Chelsea 2-0 down, Marcos Alonso was put through on goal before going to ground under the attention of Gerard Pique, only for the referee to wave play on at Camp Nou.

Barcelona quickly netted a third goal to effectively wrap up victory, but Conte feels that luck was not on the Blues’ side at the home of the Catalan giants.

At a press conference, the 48-year-old told reporters: “I think we were a bit unlucky, if you consider that, over the two legs, we showed we can play in both ways. For sure, the first leg, defensively we were more compact. More compact. If you remember, only after our mistake did they score the goal. Tonight they scored three times but I think we didn’t deserve this type of result.

“We were a bit unlucky because we created many chances to score. I think there was a penalty on Alonso at the start of the second half. If you make it 2-1, you can put a bit of pressure on Barcelona. At the end, I repeat, I must be pleased with the commitment of my players. I saw great work from my Players

He had already put Barcelona ahead after just three minutes, beating Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois at his near post with Ousmane Dembele adding the second on 20 minutes after being set up by Messi.

That tally capped Barca’s 3-0 win on the night, with the La Liga leaders advancing via a 4-1 aggregate triumph.

Messi and Ronaldo are now the only players with 100 Champions League goals, though the Barca star managed the feat in 123 matches — 14 fewer than the 137 games his Real Madrid counterpart needed to reach the threshold.

A closer look at the numbers shows Messi was decidedly more economical on his road to 100 goals, with the 30-year-old needing 1,758 fewer minutes and 266 fewer shots than Ronaldo.

But Messi still has work to do if he wants to catch Ronaldo as the competition’s all-time leading scorer, with the Portuguese star currently on 117 goals.

Barcelona have had a deal in place for months to sign Antoine Griezmann. The La Liga leaders made their interest known and this is one of the reasons Atletico Madrid were not able to agree terms on a contract extension with the France international. (Le10sport)

Ousmane Dembele has three months to impress France manager Didier Deschamps and earn a place in his World Cup squad. Injuries have stalled his debut season in La Liga but a good finish to the campaign could see him land a place in the highly competitive squad. (L’Equipe)

Paris Saint-Germain want to bring Carlo Ancelotti back to the Parc Des Princes to replace the Unai Emery. The former Sevilla manager has disappointed in the French capital, failing to win the Champions League despite being provided with some of the best players in Europe. (L’Equipe)

Spain

Nike are willing to finance a deal to bring Neymar to Real Madrid as an incentive to get the La Liga side to ditch Adidas. Nike believe they hold all of the cards with the world’s most-expensive player being one of their clients. Real Madrid have the most followers in the world but receive just €40m per year from Adidas. The contract expires in 2020 and Nike are already putting together a package to secure the deal. (Marca)

Barcelona have announced an agreement to sign Arthur from Gremio. The midfielder will arrive for €30m with a potential €9m more in add-ons. However, he will not be arriving in Spain until January 2019. The La Liga champions-elect view the Brazilian as an alternative to signing Marco Verratti. (Marca)

Arthur’s arrival would force Barcelona to loan out one of their non-EU players with Yerry Mina the most likely to be sacrificed. Paulinho and Philippe Coutinho are both key players in Ernesto Valverde’s squad. (AS)

Italy

Chelsea are monitoring AC Milan’s Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma as a potential replacement for Thibaut Courtois if the Belgian decides to leave Stamford Bridge in the summer. Paris Saint-Germain are also thought to hold an interest in the 19-year-old Italy international. (Corriere dello Sport)

Napoli are closing in on the signing of reported Everton target Lucas Torreira. The Sampdoria midfielder has been a standout performer in Serie A this season and Maurizio Sarri wants to add him to his squad. It is a move which could facilitate Jorginho to join Liverpool. (TuttoSport)

AC Milan are interested in signing Pepe Reina and Swansea midfielder Sung-Yueng Ki as they look to rebuild their squad on a budget this summer. The Rossoneri need to be shrewd and learn from the previous mistakes if they are to get back into the Champions League. (Calciomercato)

Liverpool target Alisson Becker could be set to remain in Italy, but Roma might not be able to keep hold of their prized asset. Napoli are interested in the 25-year-old with president Aurelio De Laurentiis believed to be “totally in love” with the shot-stopper. He is viewed as the perfect replacement for Milan-bound Reina. (Il Mattino)

Germany

Timo Werner has confirmed his intention to stay at RB Leipzig next season, amid interest from the Manchester clubs. “I still have a contract until 2020, I feel comfortable in Leipzig,” the 22-year-old said. (Kicker)

Former Chelsea defender, William Gallas says his Chelsea did not fear Barcelona, as they believed they could match the Catalans.

The Blues played a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge, and travel to Camp Nou on Wednesday.

Back in 2005, Chelsea lost the first leg 2-1, but won 5-4 on aggregate after winning at Camp Nou, Gallas was a member of that Chelsea team.

“At this time we were strong. When you play for a strong team, you don’t have to speak about your opponent,” Gallas told Goal. “We know, we knew there were really good. In the dressing room we didn’t talk about them and say ‘oh did you see Messi? He is really good.’

“Or ‘oh, I am a little bit worried for you because you are going to mark him, so be careful.’ No, no, because everybody knew what he had to do. At this time I was marking him and my team-mates knew I could do the job.

“I had all the information I needed from my manager [Jose Mourinho] and then I was focused to go on the pitch and do what I had to do. To be honest, I think I played maybe just two times against Lionel Messi, yes, he didn’t score but the first time he got injured after just 15 minutes in the Camp Nou.

“For me, it was very important for me to compete against Messi, to know if I was a good defender. At this time Messi was still young but everyone was talking about Lionel Messi. I had seen some video of him and I thought, ‘oh my god, I am going to mark him.’

“So I tried to find the best solution to mark him. That’s why for the first 15 minutes I was very close to him because I knew I had the space to compete with him. What I knew as well was if I left him to get the ball and to run at me, I would have been in trouble.

“That’s why the whole time I was very close to him. Unfortunately, he was injured after 15 minutes and I wanted to know that I could do it for 90 minutes. I played against him again with Arsenal but he was not playing in my area, so that’s why I didn’t have the opportunity to mark him.

“When I played for Chelsea, he was a right winger and I was a left back. When I played for Arsenal, I was a centre back and he was right winger. That’s why I didn’t have an opportunity to mark him. As a defender, when you play against players like him, you want to compete.

“You want to know if you are good enough to stop that kind of player. They can be Messi, Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo or Neymar.”

Former Chelsea defender, William Gallas says his Chelsea did not fear Barcelona, as they believed they could match the Catalans.

The Blues played a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge, and travel to Camp Nou on Wednesday.

Back in 2005, Chelsea lost the first leg 2-1, but won 5-4 on aggregate after winning at Camp Nou, Gallas was a member of that Chelsea team.

“At this time we were strong. When you play for a strong team, you don’t have to speak about your opponent,” Gallas told Goal. “We know, we knew there were really good. In the dressing room we didn’t talk about them and say ‘oh did you see Messi? He is really good.’

“Or ‘oh, I am a little bit worried for you because you are going to mark him, so be careful.’ No, no, because everybody knew what he had to do. At this time I was marking him and my team-mates knew I could do the job.

“I had all the information I needed from my manager [Jose Mourinho] and then I was focused to go on the pitch and do what I had to do. To be honest, I think I played maybe just two times against Lionel Messi, yes, he didn’t score but the first time he got injured after just 15 minutes in the Camp Nou.

“For me, it was very important for me to compete against Messi, to know if I was a good defender. At this time Messi was still young but everyone was talking about Lionel Messi. I had seen some video of him and I thought, ‘oh my god, I am going to mark him.’

“So I tried to find the best solution to mark him. That’s why for the first 15 minutes I was very close to him because I knew I had the space to compete with him. What I knew as well was if I left him to get the ball and to run at me, I would have been in trouble.

“That’s why the whole time I was very close to him. Unfortunately, he was injured after 15 minutes and I wanted to know that I could do it for 90 minutes. I played against him again with Arsenal but he was not playing in my area, so that’s why I didn’t have the opportunity to mark him.

“When I played for Chelsea, he was a right winger and I was a left back. When I played for Arsenal, I was a centre back and he was right winger. That’s why I didn’t have an opportunity to mark him. As a defender, when you play against players like him, you want to compete.

“You want to know if you are good enough to stop that kind of player. They can be Messi, Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo or Neymar.”

Cesc Fabregas has revealed he is out to frustrate the efforts of former teammate, Lionel Messi, when they face Barcelona on Wednesday.

Chelsea face Barcelona in the second leg of the last-16 UCL encounter, and are looking to progress after a 1-1 draw at home.

Should Fabregas play, he will find himself in the same space as Messi, and he hopes to be a stumbling block to him.

“If I am lucky enough to play, it’s true that we are positioned in nearby areas of the pitch, stopping him will be difficult but I will try to do everything possible so that he feels uncomfortable and can’t put together a perfect performance,” he told Marca.

“I see him as a rival who wants to win, and I want the same thing. We are in different teams and each player wants what is best for their own club. Obviously, you always have respect for each other.”

“It’s difficult as the Camp Nou is very big and you have to run a lot, but we’ll work together,” he said. “The key is to take advantage of our opportunities, we have to play our game but do damage when possible.

“I’ve never trained tactically as much as I have at Chelsea and it shows on the pitch. It’s demanding but we end up benefitting from it.”

Cesc Fabregas has revealed he is out to frustrate the efforts of former teammate, Lionel Messi, when they face Barcelona on Wednesday.

Chelsea face Barcelona in the second leg of the last-16 UCL encounter, and are looking to progress after a 1-1 draw at home.

Should Fabregas play, he will find himself in the same space as Messi, and he hopes to be a stumbling block to him.

“If I am lucky enough to play, it’s true that we are positioned in nearby areas of the pitch, stopping him will be difficult but I will try to do everything possible so that he feels uncomfortable and can’t put together a perfect performance,” he told Marca.

“I see him as a rival who wants to win, and I want the same thing. We are in different teams and each player wants what is best for their own club. Obviously, you always have respect for each other.”

“It’s difficult as the Camp Nou is very big and you have to run a lot, but we’ll work together,” he said. “The key is to take advantage of our opportunities, we have to play our game but do damage when possible.

“I’ve never trained tactically as much as I have at Chelsea and it shows on the pitch. It’s demanding but we end up benefitting from it.”

LONDON EVENING STANDARD
Fernando Llorente is set for a summer exit as Tottenham turn to Erik Lamela to fill the void left by the injured Harry Kane.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has offered his backing to under-fire Arsene Wenger, insisting the manager is the reason he joined Arsenal.
West Ham will appoint an experienced director of football at the end of the season in a bid to head off criticism from fans of their recruitment strategy.
Crystal Palace are willing to rename Selhurst Park to help fund a £100m redevelopment of the stadium and Steve Parish is hopeful fans will understand even if they are not happy about it.

MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS
Paul Pogba trained for Manchester United on Monday morning but Jose Mourinho said he did not know whether he would be fit to face Sevilla on Tuesday night.

LIVERPOOL ECHO
Roma may have dropped a hint of their willingness to sell their goalkeeper Alisson, with French reports claiming they have started scouting his replacement.
On-loan Liverpool striker Divock Origi is “not happy” with his current plight at Wolfsburg but intends to stay and fight for his place.

BIRMINGHAM MAIL
Birmingham left-back Cheick Keita is to be questioned by Italian police after his car was involved in a hit and run.

THE SENTINEL
Bruno Martins Indi has asked Stoke fans to stay and make noise for 90 minutes as they head into a pivotal home match against Everton.

THE DAILY ECHO
Southampton are wasting no time in their attempts to hire a new manager and are confident of naming Mauricio Pellegrino’s replacement very soon.

BOURNEMOUTH ECHO
Steve Cook is adamant Premier League referees need video assistance and has urged the authorities to make sure VAR is “up to scratch”.

LEICESTER MERCURY
Leicester are jetting to Spain to prepare for next weekend’s FA Cup quarter-final with Chelsea.

WALES ONLINE
Rumours that Ki Sung-Yueng will head to Italy this summer are showing no signs of going away amid reports that Milan are edging closer to securing his signature.

THE ARGUS
Christian Walton has set his sights on Mathew Ryan’s No. 1 spot at Brighton.

The 19–year-old Italy international goalkeeper is understood to be an option for the Blues if Thibaut Courtois leaves Stamford Bridge.

Real Madrid have been heavily linked with a move for Courtois, whose current contract at Chelsea expires in 2019.

Talks over an extension have yielded little success so far, raising speculation that the Blues will be forced to cash in on the 25-year-old this summer.

Donnarumma was eager to leave Milan last summer and is again expected to push for an exit when the transfer window reopens following a breakdown in the relationship between his agent Mino Raiola and the club’s hierarchy.

However, Chelsea could face competition for his signature from Paris Saint-Germain, who are also in the market for a new shot-stopper.

Barcelona have had a deal in place for months to sign Antoine Griezmann. The La Liga leaders made their interest known and this is one of the reasons Atletico Madrid were not able to agree terms on a contract extension with the France international. (Le10sport)

Ousmane Dembele has three months to impress France manager Didier Deschamps and earn a place in his World Cup squad. Injuries have stalled his debut season in La Liga but a good finish to the campaign could see him land a place in the highly competitive squad. (L’Equipe)

Paris Saint-Germain want to bring Carlo Ancelotti back to the Parc Des Princes to replace the Unai Emery. The former Sevilla manager has disappointed in the French capital, failing to win the Champions League despite being provided with some of the best players in Europe. (L’Equipe)

Spain

Nike are willing to finance a deal to bring Neymar to Real Madrid as an incentive to get the La Liga side to ditch Adidas. Nike believe they hold all of the cards with the world’s most-expensive player being one of their clients. Real Madrid have the most followers in the world but receive just €40m per year from Adidas. The contract expires in 2020 and Nike are already putting together a package to secure the deal. (Marca)Barcelona have announced an agreement to sign Arthur from Gremio. The midfielder will arrive for €30m with a potential €9m more in add-ons. However, he will not be arriving in Spain until January 2019. The La Liga champions-elect view the Brazilian as an alternative to signing Marco Verratti. (Marca)

Arthur’s arrival would force Barcelona to loan out one of their non-EU players with Yerry Mina the most likely to be sacrificed. Paulinho and Philippe Coutinho are both key players in Ernesto Valverde’s squad. (AS)

Italy

Chelsea are monitoring AC Milan’s Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma as a potential replacement for Thibaut Courtois if the Belgian decides to leave Stamford Bridge in the summer. Paris Saint-Germain are also thought to hold an interest in the 19-year-old Italy international. (Corriere dello Sport)

Napoli are closing in on the signing of reported Everton target Lucas Torreira. The Sampdoria midfielder has been a standout performer in Serie A this season and Maurizio Sarri wants to add him to his squad. It is a move which could facilitate Jorginho to join Liverpool. (TuttoSport)

AC Milan are interested in signing Pepe Reina and Swansea midfielder Sung-Yueng Ki as they look to rebuild their squad on a budget this summer. The Rossoneri need to be shrewd and learn from the previous mistakes if they are to get back into the Champions League. (Calciomercato)

Liverpool target Alisson Becker could be set to remain in Italy, but Roma might not be able to keep hold of their prized asset. Napoli are interested in the 25-year-old with president Aurelio De Laurentiis believed to be “totally in love” with the shot-stopper. He is viewed as the perfect replacement for Milan-bound Reina. (Il Mattino)

Germany

Timo Werner has confirmed his intention to stay at RB Leipzig next season, amid interest from the Manchester clubs. “I still have a contract until 2020, I feel comfortable in Leipzig,” the 22-year-old said. (Kicker)

Jose Mourinho has told Real Madrid to forget about the prospect of signing Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea.

Real Madrid have held a long-standing interest in David De Gea and were close to taking him to the Bernabeu in the summer of 2015, only for an admin error to scupper the deal at the 11th hour.

However, with club president Florentino Perez reportedly planning a major overhaul of his squad this summer, Madrid are understood to again be on the lookout for a new keeper as a replacement for Keylor Navas.

De Gea is thought to be their number one target, while Chelsea’s Thibaut Courtois has also been touted as a potential option, but Mourinho has suggested that De Gea will not be leaving Old Trafford this summer.

“I think he will stay. I don’t know what Real Madrid’s intentions are, but if I were them, I would think of another player,” Mourinho told reporters.

Chelsea legend, Didier Drogba will be hanging his boots at the end of the season with Phoenix Rising.

The veteran striker from Ivory Coast will play the 2018 USL season with Phoenix Rising, but it will be his final season.

Michael Carrick announced his plans to retire at the end of this campaign, and Drogba who turned 40 on Sunday has announced age has caught up to him.

He told Telefoot: “It’s really a pleasure for me to play.

“I started late at the top level. I really enjoy playing. I like my role of owner-player a lot. I’m surrounded by a lot of youngsters, and I like passing my know-how on to them. But this season is the last. I’m 40, it’s time now.”

Drogba scored over 150 goals, won four Premier League titles and the UCL over two spells at Chelsea, joining from Marseille in 2004. He made his professional debut with Le Mans in 1998 at 20. And also turned out for Guingamp, Shanghai Shenhua, Galatasaray and Montreal Impact.

Drogba could also return to France with Marseille, with a non-playing gig offered to the legendary striker.

He added: “We’ll have to see what is offered. I’m always ready to help.

“In any case, Marseille are showing good things this year. Rudi Garcia’s project is taking shape, they’re building a team with young players. It’s excellent to stay in the top three with a team like that. As a fan, I have a lot of faith in them.”

LONDON EVENING STANDARD
Real Madrid are looking at Hajduk Split goalkeeper Karlo Letica as a cheaper alternative to Chelsea’s Thibaut Courtois.
Newcastle United want to sign Kenedy from Chelsea on a permanent basis this summer.
Arsenal will assess Shkodran Mustafi’s groin injury on Monday as the defender faces a race to prove his fitness ahead of Thursday’s Europa League return leg with AC Milan.

MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS
Benjamin Mendy will not be rushed back for Manchester City – despite being desperate to play. The French left-back is back in training with the Premier League leaders after six months on the sidelines following cruciate ligament knee surgery.

LIVERPOOL ECHO
Liverpool are chasing Real Madrid star Luka Modric but face a battle to land the Croatia international’s signature, according to reports in Spain.
Kevin Mirallas’ loan at Olympiakos has been hit after officials confirmed an indefinite suspension of all games in the Greek Superleague.

BIRMINGHAM MAIL
Wolves chairman Jeff Shi has hit out at Aston Villa and Leeds United, branding their actions ‘laughable’. Villa, who thumped Wolves 4-1 at Villa Park on Saturday evening, are among a clutch of Championship teams to have voiced their concerns to the EFL over their rivals’ relationship with super-agent Jorge Mendes.
West Bromwich Albion will hold talks with beleaguered manager Alan Pardew today as the search for the club’s next manager continues.

EXPRESS & STAR
Wolves’ squad will visit China this summer if the team wins promotion to the Premier League, Jeff Shi has revealed.

STOKE SENTINEL
Xherdan Shaqiri can one day make a return trip to the Champions League with one of Europe’s biggest clubs, according to Paul Lambert.

HULL DAILY MAIL
Abel Hernandez has left the door ajar for an extended stay with Hull City after admitting he has held contract talks to remain at the KCOM beyond this season.
Wolverhampton Wanderers face competition to bring Willy Boly to Molineux on a permanent deal in the summer, according to reports in Portugal.

LEICESTER MERCURY
Leicester City are jetting to Spain to prepare for next weekend’s FA Cup quarter-final with Chelsea.

DERBY TELEGRAPH
Derby County captain Richard Keogh has accused Nottingham Forest’s players of going down too easily during the goalless draw between the sides at the City Ground.

DAILY ECHO
Mauricio Pellegrino still believes he can lead Southampton to Premier League survival.

BOURNEMOUTH ECHO
Ryan Fraser has been called up by newly-appointed Scotland boss Alex McLeish for friendlies against Costa Rica and Hungary – despite recent back trouble.

SOUTH WALES EVENING POST
Reports in Italy have suggested that AC Milan are closing in on a deal to snap up Swansea City star Ki Sung-Yueng on a free transfer at the end of the season.

THE ARGUS
Brighton boss Chris Hughton will abandon widespread changes in the FA Cup for Saturday evening’s quarter-final against Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Anthony Knockaert has been told there is no defence for the red card challenge which has sidelined Albion’s French winger for at least five weeks.